I want to thank miss Chareese for trying out her new camera on my little boys! The quality is amazing. I thought the pics of Brody were good to go along with the last post, and the ones of Kellen are his 3 month pics. Let me just quote someone else to share how I feel about Kellen.

"The baby cries, he opens his eyes and turns his head toward sound, he roots against mother until he latches onto a nipple. Mother feels an explosive, protective, overwhelming love. She wants to tell everyone about this new love, how it puts everything else into perspective. But what she quickly discovers is that the world falls into two categories: those who don't care and those who already know." It is indescribable.

Life here is a constant of activity, joy, worry. Currently we are trying to set up the kids classes for next year. Davin will be a junior - an important year that colleges weigh heavily. How many AP classes? Does he want to go to BYU because they don't accept weighted GPA's, but they do like to see that you took advanced classes. Perry is going to High School - yikes! Josie is going to middle school - yikes! Why do they make us pick their classes so dang early? Don't they realize my children have a worrier for their mother????!!!!

Weekend Activities ...

Davin - psat, high school b-ball game, UCR basketball game, physical therapy, preisthood session, 100 pages of Native Sun, finish class selection for next year

Perry - babysitting, homework, movies and dinner with friends

Josie - talent show practice, friends, Soccer State Cup games 1 and 2, spice report

Emmie - talent show practice, lots of car rides to siblings activities

Brody - friends, bike riding, soccer, legos, naps

Kellen - feeding, diaper change, loves, nap repeat many times

Family - add to individual activities cousin's b-ball game, a trip to cousins house to meet new puppy Molly, church

Observation

no wonder the kid's lives are rushing by

did I hug them enough - tell them how smart, kind, beautiful, talented they are, because I know I corrected, rushed, criticized, pushed, told Perry to stand up staight 50 times

goals

I will enjoy more, spend more time on family time, don't stamp out every spontanious thought, remember that our house looks the way it does because we actually live in it

My little Brody just makes me smile sometimes. Thank goodness because there are plenty of times I am sure my face is twisted in an ugly knot because of something he has done or won't do! He has been so happy this week. He is trying to learn the first article of faith - he almost has it but when he forgets a word he says, "shhh, it's a secret." Last night he asked me why daddy sleeps in his "gardens". He has been turning everything into a "shooter" lately, and I have told him that if he points at people I will take the shooters away. He decided to turn his finger into a shooter and told me there was no way I could take his finger off and put it on top of the refrigerator! He is working on his daddy for a swing set we saw at a friends house. He asked me this morning and then grinned and said, "I'm going to go whisper to daddy that he is in charge of it." This kid would not watch TV. I know this should have been a wonderful thing, but he has been a busy guy, and I would have loved to have gotten a shower knowing the TV was babysitting. Suddenly he has become interested. The odd part - he wants to watch "Fancy Jewel". This is really the old Hardy Boys staring "Nancy Drew". These shows are old and slow for a 3 year old, but he will watch an entire episode. I keep saying don't you want to watch Sesame Street? His reply, "No, I want to see the bad guys and watch the pretty girl." Do you think I am in trouble? With the monotony of my "job", I need these little moments to keep me going with a smile. I wouldn't trade it for anything!

I just finished this novel. I really like to read, and this was so interesting. I took 5 upper level English classes my last semester of college. I almost cried on the way home from buying my books that semester. I am sure I had a stack of 25 novels to sit on my desk. It was as though I would never have the desire to read for pleasure again. I now have only a rare moment to fit this pleasure in - 20 minutes here or there nursing the baby - in the car waiting for a game to begin or child to come running out. If you have those same kind of moments, this novel would be worth it!

The three younger Guinns
Brody's play date with Aly and Maddie (Boy they liked the baby!)

These three year olds played for 3 hours without one issue!

I can't believe this rain. The elementary school principal called to tell us we "had" to pick our children up in the front loop because of the storm. I am not sure he remembered there are 1000 students at the school. Brad being from the great northwest could not believe the request, and neither could my good Canadian friend. I of coarse stuck with the original pickup plan. My girls came running to the car with squeals of laughter - a God sent adventure - one they will recall in years to come. "Remember the time..." Josie will play soccer tonight on artificial turf in the rain - another adventure. I have been told you don't catch the cold from being cold. I have a stew in the crock pot. Davin just texted me on his way to practice, "I am cold and starving, what's for dinner?" I was so happy to reply that hot chunky stew was waiting - he is so happy. I told him I aim to please. The lack of light sure affects my mood. I keep thinking I need chocolate. I need to go to the movies. Instead I went grocery shopping. There are still nice people out there as a man left his cart in the store to follow me and the baby out to the car with his umbrella. Amazing! I have burning foot syndrome, caused by what I don't know. I have been to the general practitioner and the dermatologist. They can't help. Do you know anyone who has suffered from this, or know what kind of doctor I should see. I have had it for over 2 months.

Kellen 2 1/2 months, Davin's new screws, and the Zoo with Nana

Let me begin with an update. Davin is healing beautifully. He will begin physical therapy next week and is able to put 20 lbs of weight on his leg. He has kept an amazing positive attitude throughout, definitely beyond what I thought he was capable of. It is painful for him to sit on the end of the basketball bench taking stats while he should be out on the court sinking baskets and pulling down rebounds. Kellen is a champ. He is mellow - smiling at any of his 5 siblings as they rush by, willing to go from swing to bouncy seat to car seat, only fussing when he is tired or hungry. My days are busy and at times I ache to sit on the couch and nuzzle him - I try. Brody is my sweet busy boy. He has moved right into potty words and talking back, all things need to be his decision (mentally exhausting for the mother), but with this is a natural thoughtfulness and kindness that was only taught to some of my other children. Perry is my friend now. Don't get me wrong, I still am the parent, but really I enjoy being with her as much as anybody. She is much older than me in spirit years - I knew this when she was born, and as time has passed, this has become ever more apparent. Josie is amazing with Brody and Kellen. She turned 11 which means I have a 3rd sitter in the house :)! Emmie still tells me she wants to snuggle with me. This just has to be a good sign. She is so tired these days - first grade has done this to all of my kids. She is excited that Ms. Chareese is going to include her in the talent show this year.
Now I just have to share how much I hate (strong word) feeling week. Sparing the finer details, these lasts 2 months have kicked my butt (strong word)!!!!! So yesterday I opened the January Ensign (church magazine) for the first time. Here are a couple of headlines and quotes that jumped out at me. "Hold on a Little Longer", "Wading Through the Valley of the Shadow of Death" "How We Learned About Happiness" "Look ahead and remember that faith is always pointed toward the future." "To appreciate the summit, one must experience the valleys." You get the picture. O.K. I get it.

The girls had a wonderful Christmas. Emmie got a giftcard to get her ears pierced and is now walking around with little bulbs in her ears. Perry got her first phone, the LG Neon, and is now texting away. Josie got a digital camera and can now dress up and take pictures of her and her friends. post by Josie Guinn

Pretty much all Davin could do this Christmas was sit on the couch and have people bring him stuff, but he made the best of it. While Davin was on the couch Brody was moving things along by openning all of his presents at a very quick pace. Emmie was also moving things along when she woke up and ran downstairs and opened all of her presents before anyone else.

by josie guinn